


Rise

by ap_marvel



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, i fixed it y'all, jj fucked up, the way it was supposed to be written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22364248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ap_marvel/pseuds/ap_marvel
Summary: The Resistance has survived facing the First Order. But it has taken its toll, along with the deaths of friend of foe alike. Now they they must face one final conflict.Ben Solo has returned home.
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	1. Dying Breath

"that's how we're going to win, not fighting what we hate, saving what we love." - _Rose Tico_

○○○

His hand grasped onto the surface, groaning as he pulled himself up. He crawled across the rocky floor as his body ached, unable to stand himself up. But he had to get to her. His jaw clenched in determination at the sight of her body. White clothing stained from the dirty ground she now lied on. He pushed himself up with all the strength he could muster, stumbling on his wounded leg until he reached her. He held back his tears as he fell beside her, maneuvering himself and her limp body so that he could hold her in his arms.

She was gone. Pale skin and still, glassy eyes were all that were left of her.

He pulled her towards him, one hand gently supporting her head and the other wrapped around her body. He was cradling her, memorizing how the soft brush of her hair felt against his skin. He had never held her. And now that he could, it was only when she was gone. He desperately wanted to tell her that she was right, that what she saw on Ahch-To had come to fruition and that... That they had won.

But it didn't feel like that. Not by the hollowness that seemed to consume him or how her skin was beginning to turn cold beneath his touch. He shut his eyes closed, desperately reaching out. Searching for the warmth of their bond. 

A flutter of life-force.

Ben pulled back from her, staring at her incredulously through blurry eyes. 

She was alive. Barely. And she was slipping away from him in his very arms. He had to save her. It was the only thing he could do, to pay for all his sins and the torment he had inflicted. Even if it meant losing himself.

A blur of blue in his periphery caught his attention. He looked up, seeing a young man with curly hair standing before him. His grandfather. He recalled the countless pleas he had made to the mask of the man he had modelled himself after. Now he understood why they hadn't been answered. He was no heir to Vader - he was a Skywalker. His grandfather had a pained expression that reflected his own. He hadn't been able to save his grandmother.

He wouldn't lose Rey.

The Force-ghost nodded at him encouragingly, his eyes flitting between him and Rey.

Ben slid his hand onto her abdomen, closing his eyes in concentration.

He could hear the sound of his breath and the pounding of his heart through his chest. He recalled how it had felt when she had healed him, like pure light coursed through his veins. He tried to embody that, feeling the Force surrounding them both and delving into the life-force within him. He directed it into her, letting her take it all.

The silence suspenseful as he waited. 

She had to live. She had to.

A warm hand gently touched his.

His eyes opened, jumping at the touch. She was awake. Her doe-like eyes staring up at him in astonishment, shifting to sit up in his arms. She blinked several times, her hand still gently caressing his, as though unsure if it was real.

She took the breath out of his lungs. Waves of emotion crashed against his chest as he searched her face. The pink hue in her cheeks, the rhythmic movement of her chest and the pure glow of her. Even in the darkness of this terrible abyss, she was still shining bright. Like an Angel.

He had done it.

 _He had done it._ Rey was alive, sitting in his arms and staring at him like nobody had. Like he mattered. Like this is who he was always meant to be.

A smile overcame her features.

“Ben,” she said softly, her lips caressing the name.

He could barely breathe let alone speak.

Her hand shakily came up to his face, tracing the edges of his face. Her thumb sketching where his scar had once been. A tear escaped up as he gave her a watery smile and she caught it easily.

“Rey,” he whispered thickly.

Before he could process what was happening, her hand pulled his face towards her and captured his lips heatedly. His arms curled around her tightly, his senses overwhelmed with euphoria. Soft lips and the taste of pure starlight, that was Rey. And, he loved her.

She pulled away gently, distance returning between them. Her smile lit up at him but when she saw that his expression hadn’t mirrored her own – it sunk into uncertainty. But he had been so intoxicated by her, he was unable to think. He grinned, chuckling as she brushed her thumb at the corner of his lips. Her own smile returning instantly.

Ben embraced it, the quiver of light which had settled inside him. And with its acceptance he had realised that nothing had ever felt so quiet in the discourse of his mind. So, this was peace.

A shift in the Force. All too familiar and… Motherly. It was different now, like there was a gentleness in her passing. His mother knew he would turn, he realised. She had been waiting, desperately holding out for him to find his way back into the light so that she could rest knowing her sacrifices were not in vain, and that her son was alive. Ben Solo was alive.

He wound his large arms around Rey, who had also sensed it, pulling her into a tight hug and shutting his eyes. She gripped onto his black sweater, her other hand threading through the hair at the nape of his neck comfortingly. When the tears slowly began to fade, he opened his eyes.

His grandfather was joined with his mother, now a Force-ghost, and his Uncle. His grandfather smiled proudly, and his mother had never looked more at peace. His Uncle stared at him before it melted into a smile. They faded away, leaving him with his heart of hope.

Balance was restored in the galaxy.


	2. Returning Home

"if you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people." - _Maz Kanata_

○○○

She looked out of the X-wing to see the large gatherings below. A happy reunion at the end of a tiresome war. They had suffered. Endured. She wondered if the people of the Resistance could find their peace, now that the pain of their losses would be commemorated and never forgotten.

Leia would be proud to see its end. To know that hey had won, and that her son had come home.

Cheers became deafening as she landed. She appreciated it, and she wanted to celebrate with them, but she had to know if her friends were safe. It was the only thing running through her mind… That and Ben. Oh, Ben. How would they react?

Rey climbed out, landing onto her feet heavily. She was exhausted but nothing could stop her now. She smiled at the sight of BB-8 and D-0 who greeted her with happy beeps and shy ‘hello’. Just as she was about to ask where they were, she spotted them across the field.

She ran, grinning at the sight of Finn, Poe and Rose – all alive. She held them at arm’s length when she reached them, needing to examine them, to see their faces and know that they were safe. Exhilaration painted all of their features as they stared at her. And before she could control herself, she entangled her arms around them.

They stood that like for a while, warmth spreading through their embrace. When they parted, the exhilaration only surged.

“People are rising up all over the galaxy! We did it!” Finn sputtered out hurriedly.

Rey grinned at them. “We did it.”

The screech of a TIE fighter followed her words, landing beside the X-wing. Ben. Elation filled her chest, but people’s laughter had quieted in its presence. She suddenly understood the unease that filtered from his side of the bond.

It seemed the people of the Resistance hadn’t simply forgotten the cruelty that came with the First Order’s fighters.

Rey ran over, leaving her friends astounded as she stood before the ship. Silence deafening her as she watched Ben climb out with less grace than she had. She offered her assistance which he took without a moment’s hesitation. He leaned onto her as she slid her arm around his waist, holding the hand of the arm he had enclosed around her shoulders. His limp was eased by her help, but it would worsen if he didn’t get medical attention.

As they neared the crowd, murmurs quietened. Finn, Poe and Rose stood strongly at the front. She shared a look with them, to which they simply nodded – showing their support for Ben.

A tense heaviness consumed all of Ajan Kloss.

Poe stepped out, turning to face the crowd. “Let’s give it up for the Jedi!”

The crowd cheered.

A grin broke through her doubtful expression as she turned to look at Ben. He was wide-eyed, perhaps most surprised of them all. But she could see the small smile that began to take hold of his features.

The Resistance and their allies returned to their celebrations, any worries they had were soothed in that moment. They had seen the TIE fighter working alongside the X-wing taking down the Sith Fleet. They hadn't known that it was the man that had once led it.

Ben looked down at her, that smile still on his lips and she felt joy overcome his earlier unease. Her heart pounded at the sight of him. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to seeing his smile, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt, that she wanted to kiss him again. His hand came up beside her face, his thumb brushing the dried blood that it.

Oh, she wanted to kiss him.

“Are you going to introduce us?”

Rey turned to see her friends watching them both intently, scrutinizing how he was touching her. She felt herself turn hot, flustering as she looked back at Ben who seemed to sombre under their gaze.

Before she could open her mouth to answer, a voice interrupted them all.

“Move out of the way.”

Finn and Poe side-stepped to make way for Maz Kanata. Her enlarged eyes transfixed on Ben as she walked slowly towards him.

"I am sorry about your mother, Ben Solo. But know that she is at peace, now that you are here."

Ben gave her solemn look before answering, "Thank you."

Maz turned her attention on Rey throwing a knowing smile at her. "You have good taste, child."

Rey felt herself blush as her friends shared a look before looking at her questioningly. But it was mostly because of how Ben looked at her. Like he couldn't agree more. That was definitely the Han in him, she thought.

"Take him to the med bay," Maz ordered before leaving.

Rey shared a look with Ben, something unspoken being communicated between them before he was transferred onto one of the stretchers to be taken to the med bay. She reached out a hand to him, squeezing it once before he was taken away. She was still staring after him as her friends neared.

"So, you and Ben Solo. How long has that been going on?" Rose asked with a smile.

She looked at the three of them sheepishly.

"Seriously Rey? That long?" Poe asked incredulously, his tone light.

She shook her head with laughter, stretching her arms wide so that they grouped together into an unusually large hug. It didn't matter that they were all shuffled in too close or that she could barely wrap her arms around the three of them. Only that they were all safe and together. There was a loud growl behind them before large hairy arms smothered all four of them. Their cries muffled under Chewie's tight grip.

They had done it. They had won. And most of all, she was with her family.

○

They had landed on Ahch-To.

Ben looked around, taking in the greenery growing on the rocky island. Small birds, Porgs Rey had told him, followed them. As they walked past the Lanai caretakers, he noticed how they huffed at Rey and he wondered why. When he looked towards Rey for answers, she only gave him a guilty smile.

It didn't take long before they had reached the huts at the peak of the island. He followed Rey's lead silently and when she stopped in steps, he almost stumbled into her and mumbled an apology. When she said nothing, he became concerned.

"Rey?"

He turned to look at her only to see a small smile. He followed her gaze and it landed at a hut which he recognized instantly. Where they had first touched. There was a distinct line where the newly laid bricks had been laid on top of the original foundation of the hut.

He felt a sad smile grow on his lips, he had been a different person before but, in that moment, he was Ben Solo. He just hadn't realised it yet.

"Do you remember?" She asked.

"I don't think I could forget it."

"Neither could I," she said softly.

He reached out beside him, feeling the back of her hand against his. His smile growing as she interlaced her fingers with his large ones. The shadows of his past slipped away in the glow of her presence, replacing his doubts with implicit reassurance.

"I don't think Skywalker approved."

"No, he didn't." She laughed, shaking her head at him. The sound of it slowed, her features shifting into something melancholic as she stared at the cloth that wrapped the Skywalker lightsabers. "Luke might have failed you Ben, and you don't need his approval, but you proved him wrong and he'd be so proud of you. So would Han and Leia."

There was a beat of silence.

"And you?" He asked quietly.

Her smile returned, as ecstatic as it could be as she answered, "I couldn't be prouder."

He stared at her, the words seeming to loop through his mind. He didn't think they could affect him the way they did, but they did nonetheless. He felt a surge of emotion course through him, his heart touched by her smile as he nodded. She squeezed his hand in affirmation, comforting him once more.

He followed her into Luke's hut. Watching as she let go of his hand to delicately check the lightsabers were secured safely in the cloth before she kneeled down to tuck them into a hiding place. She took a moment, perhaps hesitant to leave them behind, staring at the cloth before turning back to look up at him.

"You're a Skywalker."

He furrowed his brows at her statement, unsure of where it was leading.

"I mean, they're your family. You should be doing this, not me."

He walked over and kneeled beside her.

"They were your family too," he reassured. When she gave him a small smile, he shrugged and added. "Besides you're the Last Jedi."

The smile grew and something warmer danced in her eyes as she asked, "How can I be the last when I have you?"

He nodded, holding back the urge to kiss her in that moment. They were on a sacred island after all.

"Together then?"

"Together."

They both gently placed the wrapped lightsabers in the hiding place. A feeling of peace and purpose was shared between them. Where he had sensed her doubts with letting go and his own with the future they were now paving a path for, he could now sense resolve.

They weren't letting the past die, they were putting it to rest. To lay the foundations to something new - something better.

There was no-one else to continue the Skywalker name, even if it was in his blood. But that didn't matter. The Skywalker legacy would continue as it had for generations because, nothing was ending here today - the rise of Skywalker was only beginning.

They would ensure it.


	3. Finding Peace

"I will not be the last Jedi." – _Luke Skywalker_

○○○

Rey got down on her knee.

"What's your name?" She asked gently.

"Kytra Livyen," the young girl whispered anxiously.

"Well Kytra Livyen, I'm Rey." She extended out her hand and Kytra shook it slowly. "I'm going to help you."

"Are you going to help me with the Force?" Kytra asked with more confidence.

"Yes, if that's what you'd like."

Her eyes widened with excitement. "Yes please."

Rey laughed at her enthusiasm. "Would you like to see the training grounds? Meet some of the other students?"

Kytra smiled at Rey, nodding excitedly. Rey mirrored her smile, standing up and offering her hand to lead her to the training grounds. The young girl took it happily, walking beside her and stretching her hand out every so often to touch the greenery along the pathway.

"How are you liking Ajan Kloss?"

"It's very pretty."

Rey hummed in agreement.

When they reached the open space that served as the training ground, she felt Kytra shy behind her. Which was understandable considering how many students there were. Majority of them were training, using staffs to improve their combat skills, others were in another corner working with a group of ex-Resistance members learning components of ships and how to fix them and a small group of older students were reading copies of the ancient Jedi texts. But Rey couldn't help but be focussed on the group of their youngest students sitting crossed legged laughing. At the front was Ben, holding figurines of the Resistance as he re-enacted the fight of the First Order. They looked eerily similar to Finn and herself.

He looked up, sensing her presence. She raised a brow at him, looking at the figurines in his hands with much amusement. He scratched his head with the figurine, smiling sheepishly. She shook her head, unable to hold back her laughter as he continued to dramatically retell the stories.

"Who's that?"

Rey looked down at Kytra, who had come out of hiding behind her. "That's Ben Solo. He's a teacher here, like me."

"I think he loves you," she giggled.

"I think he does too."

"Do you love him?"

Rey looked down at the girl surprised at her sudden confidence. But Kytra looked up at her earnestly, patiently waiting for an answer. She looked over at Ben, seeing him glance at her every so often with unmasked contentment. A feeling of bliss coming from his side of the bond, which she returned easily with her own comfort in his presence.

"More than anything in the galaxy."

There was a beat of silence.

"I wish I had someone that loved me."

The girl's words sparked Rey's own memories of feeling alone and abandoned on Jakku. She hadn't lost hope that her parents would return but she would never forget how she longed to be loved.

Rey kneeled down beside Kytra. Her voice was clear and firm as she held her shoulders. "Your journey can start here Kytra. These could be your friends, your family and your home. A place to learn, but more importantly a place to belong. Would you like that?"

The girl jumped up at her, wrapping her small arms around her neck into a hug. Rey was caught off guard for a second before she returned the hug, stroking the girl's hair.

"I'd like that please."

○

"Master?"

Rey turned in her bed, eyes blinking several times before they focused on the young girl. She looked around in confusion, seeing Ben no longer sleeping beside her.

"Yes, Kytra?" She asked.

"You have to follow me." The girl grinned at her, gesturing with her hand to follow before she turned in her step and left out through the open doorway. The dark amber rays of the setting sun filtered through, and she wondered what was possibly going on this late.

Rey stood up slowly, rubbing her eyes quickly as she went to follow her. She put her lightsaber in her hilt as she went out through the doorway. Where a few moments ago she was confused, it was replaced with joy.

Hairy arms wrapping around her, lifting her from the ground with a growl.

"Chewie!"

Her grip tightened around the Wookie, pulling him closer. After several seconds he put her back on the ground and she pulled away to look up at him with a grin. Beside him stood Kytra, smiling up at her.

"Thank you, Kytra."

"You're welcome, Master. But it's not over yet."

"Yeah, he's not the only one," a voice called out from behind Chewie.

"You think she'll be happy to see us?" Another voice asked.

"Of course she will," a female voice answered.

Rey looked behind Chewie, her eyes tearing up with the sound of familiar voices. Finn, Poe Dameron and Rose Tico all stood with smiles. Her feet took lead as she rushed towards them with open arms. They let out grunts as she managed to wrap her arms around the three of them, squeezing her eyes shut with a watery smile and half-choked up laugh.

"Told you," Rose said with a muffled voice.

"A little too happy if you ask me," Poe added jokingly.

They all laughed as Rey parted, slightly embarrassed by the number of tears in her eyes. She was happy to see that they were all still smiling, not even slightly bothered by her dramatic actions. Beside them were BB-8 and R2-D2, who beeped cheerfully at her.

"What are you all doing here?" She asked eagerly.

"We missed you," Finn said with a smile. "Saving the galaxy can wait a day to pay a friend a visit. Especially today, princess."

"Princess?" Rey echoed with a confused smile.

She watched as Rose slapped Finn's arm, to which he let out a surprise cry. "Seriously Finn?"

"What? She's gonna find out anyway!"

"What's today?" Rey asked, confused as ever.

"It's still not over!"

Kytra slipped between Rey and the rest of them, giggling. She stretched out her small hand, which Rey took hesitantly. She saw the smiles that were exchanged between Kytra and the rest of them. Something was definitely going on.

Chewie's hands covered her eyes as she was blindly led away from her home. She had a sense of where they were going, towards the edge of the ocean where the greenery met water, behind the training grounds. She reached out with the Force, sensing the familiarity of Ben Solo and their students.

What in the galaxy was going on?

Her vision returned and her breath hitched at the sight. Her hand lifting to her mouth as she gasped, something beautifully euphoric exploding inside of her.

All of them, each and every one of their students (including Kytra) lined on either side of her, their hands stretched out towards the centre. They were using the Force to hold up a long archway of woven flowers, and at its end stood a grinning Ben Solo. Amber rays of the golden sun setting at the ocean's horizon highlighted the edges of his silhouette.

She looked to Finn, Poe, Rose and Chewie standing beside her through blurry eyes. Rose and Poe were smiling encouragingly at her and Finn swiped a hand at his eye. They all nodded at her.

She swallowed back anymore tears, allowing a grin take over her features as she stepped into the archway, ducking slightly as one of their newest students, Liran, struggled. She gave him a reassuring smile as she helped him keep it up. Rey continued her journey, her eyes never leaving Ben's as she met him at the end.

"You did this?" She asked in awe.

"Was it too much?"

She let out a laugh. "No, it was perfect. Thank you."

He nodded, his eyes flitting between hers anxiously. "So, I... I have a question."

"Yes?"

"I – Uh..."

His gaze looked towards their audience and she followed it to see them all looking expectantly at them, grinning. Sweat started to bead on his forehead and she could sense his unease through their bond.

"Ben, are you alright?" She asked concernedly.

"Yes... Yes I am."

Unease melted into exhilaration.

He turned to her, looking at her with a gaze warmer than the sun. "Rey, you saved me. You saw the best in me, even when nobody else did. You gave me the most important thing that nobody else in the galaxy could... Hope. I wish I could give you as much as you've given me, but I have nothing more than to offer a promise of my undying love to you. You are everything to me, Rey and I am completely and unapologetically in love with you. And there is nothing more I would like to do then spend the rest of my life here, with you." He voice was thick with emotion as he finally asked. "Will you marry me?"

He stretched his hand out to her, offering it one more time – not as Kylo Ren but as Ben Solo.

She stared at him, memorising this moment. His green eyes watering with emotion as they held hers, his features painted with an emotion that she could only describe as burning love for her. And she couldn't imagine anything better than to be here in this moment, and to know that it would last for however long they lived.

"Yes," she breathed, placing her hand on his.

The cheers of their students and friends overwhelmed her senses, but none more than Ben's kiss. It was soft and careful, like he wanted to take in this moment as much as she did. She heard some of the students making sounds of objections, others swooned at the affection and whistled. When they finally parted, she looked up at him through her lashes with a beaming smile.

She had found true balance, but most importantly she had found her place in the galaxy, and it was right here. With all her friends, students and Ben Solo. And there was nothing more important to her than to celebrate her new-found home.

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I am not the best writer but I think I did okay in comparison to the original ending... Right?
> 
> Anyways I was thinking about writing all the things the Rise of Skywalker got wrong and how I would've changed things throughout the sequel, but I realise now that it would make no difference. I do believe that there was a miscommunication between JJ and the studio as to what would happen and the blatant disregard to what Rian had built in the Last Jedi which, as a result, impacted all our experiences. For everyone who felt betrayed by the ending, I want to tell you that you're not alone (seriously I've cried like 12 times).
> 
> For those who've been here from the beginning or who have joined at the prequels or even joined because of the sequels, I know how difficult this must have been for your journey to end so abruptly with Ben and Rey's but I want to remind you that they do live on. They live on in cinematic history, in our childhoods/adulthoods and hopefully the following generations. Star Wars has been a huge impact in my life when I was younger and it has now as a writer, so I want to thank the people that had the crazy ass idea of adventures in space and thank every single person who watched it for coming together and celebrating creativity.
> 
> Ben Solo's story did not end in the Rise of Skywalker. He found redemption, saved the love of his life from the brink of death and all the beings in all the galaxies heard of his fight against the First Order. Rey's story did not end by resigning to be all alone on another dessert just as her story began. She found her belonging, not just with the love of her life who revived her but with her family – not blood but that didn't matter to her, and she went to teach the next generation of Jedi with Ben Solo in the greenest planet to ever green.
> 
> I want to say one last thing. Thank you. I could not have done this without you. You have given me hope, strength and the ability to be happy in what I do. I know it doesn't seem like you've done much reading this book, but it means the world to me that you did. So, thank you.
> 
> And of course. May the Force be with you. Always.
> 
> \- AP


End file.
